CHICAGO, DECEMBER 12, 2022 — Illinois Humanities is proud to announce that new Envisioning Justice grants will provide funding totaling $150,000 to 23 organizations and individuals working statewide to address the injustice of mass incarceration. The projects receiving funding utilize the arts, humanities, and community organizing to enact change, influence public opinion, and promote a more just society through community-based approaches to accountability and public safety.

Since 2017, Illinois Humanities’ Envisioning Justice program has provided more than half a million dollars in grants to individuals and organizations working in Illinois to develop events and resources for communities disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration, and for all Illinoisans to get involved in creating a more just state.

The 2022 Envisioning Justice grantee partners include: the Chicago Community Bond Fund (Chicago), which will create a multimedia campaign about the Pretrial Fairness Act; Knox College faculty member Leanne Trapedo Sims (Galesburg), who will create a new Inside-Out Prison Exchange program with Knox College students and students incarcerated at Henry Hill Correctional Center; Sonja Henderson and the Mothers Healing Circle (Chicago), who will create an art installation in North Lawndale created by mothers who have lost loved ones to violence; and Education Justice Project (Champaign), who will develop a reentry guide and zines to share knowledge and resources to support people returning from prison.

The full list of grantees is available below.

The 2022 Envisioning Justice grants are funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Polk Bros. Foundation.

2022 Envisioning Justice Grantees:

Champaign

• Education Justice Project

Charleston

• Dr. Jacquelyn Beth Frank of Eastern Illinois University

Chicago

• Mashaun Hendricks
• Silvia Gonzalez
• Sonja Henderson (Mothers Healing Circle)
• Theodore Williams
• Adler University and the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education
• Chicago Community Bond Fund
• Chicago Torture Justice Center
• Chicago Votes
• Invisible Institute
• New Age Services Corporation
• Nothing Without A Company Inc.
• Parole Illinois
• Reader Institute for Community Journalism
• The Voices and Faces Project
• Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project (PNAP) in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Human Rights Lab at the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights
• Restore Justice Foundation in partnership with the Women’s Justice Institute
• Saint Leonard’s Ministries in partnership with Still Point Theatre

Decatur

• Shakespeare Corrected at Millikin University

Evanston

• Women Initiating New Directions

Galesburg

• Leanne Trapedo Sims, Knox College

Grand Chain

• Legacy Training and Development

About Illinois Humanities

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. We provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration. Founded in 1974, Illinois Humanities is supported by state, federal, and private funds. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn @ILHumanities.